Hitching device



(NoModeL) Y J. E. DALBEY. HITGHING DEVICE.

No. 579,533. Patented Mar. 23, 1897.

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JOl-INE. DALIBEY, OF SPRINGFIELD, ILLINOIS.

HITCHING DEVICE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 579,533, dated March 23, 1897. Application filed May 25, 1896. Serial No. 592,916. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, JOHN E. DALBEY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Springfield, in the county of Sangamon and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in I-Iitching Devices; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon,which form part of this specification.

My invention relates to that class of hitching devices in which a weight hung below the body of the vehicle is rendered detachable from its support to enable it to be lowered to the ground or pavement, such weight being connected by a suitable strap to the bit on the snap, hook, ring, or other attachment provided therefor.

It is the purpose of my invention to aiford a simple and inexpensive device whereby the hitching-rein and its anchoring-weight may be easily disconnected from the supportinghook and lowered to the ground without the supportingchain passing beyond easy reach of the hand, and again returned to its normal position without any special manipulation.

To enable others to fully understand and to make and use my said invention, I will proceed to describe the same in detail, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a partial perspective view of a vehicle having the invention applied thereto, a portion of the bed of the vehicle being broken away to show more clearly the relation of the parts. Fig. 2 is a detached enlarged perspective view of the weight and its attachments, part of the weight being broken away to show the interior construction. Fig. 3 is a diagram showing how the invention is applied to a team.

To any part of the vehicle A, preferably the seat, and on approximately the central line of the length of the vehicle, is attached a projecting hook a. An anchoring-weight B is suspended from the hook at by means of a chain 1), which has at its upper extremity a ring N of a diameter much larger than that of chain 1). Directly under the hook at is a plate 0, of any suitable material, connected to the bed of the vehicle A in any desired manner. In the plate 0 and the bed of the vehicle A is a hole (Z of sufficient diameter to admit of the passage of the chain 19, but not large enough to permit the ring N to fall through when the device is lowered.

The anchoring-weight 13 consists of two members 0 and O. The member 0 is in the form of a circular box, having around its lower periphery integral lugs 2' 2", &c., preferably four in number, which have the tendency of giving increased resistance to the anchoringweight B. In the center of the bottom of the member 0 is a hole 6, through which passes the bolt D. The bolt D also passes through the hole 4 in the member 0 and clamps the members 0 and C firmly together by means of the nut f. Into the cavityE thus formed any number of weights F, of any suitable material, may be introduced by unscrewing the nut f and removing the member 0, when the member 0' and the nutfare replaced, thus adjusting the weight to any desired amount.

On the upper periphery of the member 0 are integral lugs g and g,-through which passes the bolt M, which is then held firmly in place by means of the nut 71.. The bolt M also passes through anygiven link of the chain 1), thus making the distance between the weight B and the ring N adjustable and connecting the chain 2) with the weight B. The bolt M is bent at its central point into a form of a loop K, which keeps the chain 1) directly over the center of the weight 13.

A lug G, integral with the member C, situated about midway between the top and bottom of said member and at right angles to the lugs g and g, bears the ring II. To the ring II is attached in any suitable manner the hitching-strap J, which is either single or double at its outer ends and is provided at said end or ends with snaps K and K, by means of which the members j and j of the strap J are attached to the bit or bits.

have shown the strap J with two members and in Fig. 3 how the same may be applied to a team; but it is obvious that the member j In Fig. 2 I

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may be dispensed with when there is only one horse without departing from the spirit of my invention.

The operation is as follows: The weight B, attached to the bits L by means of the hitching-strap J and the intermediate connections, is normally swungfree of the ground by means of the chain Z) passing through the hole (I in the plate 0 and engaging with the hook at by means of the ring N. Then it is desired to throw the device into operation, the ring N is removed from the hook or and lowered till the lugs 'i t", &c., of the weight B come in contact with theground. The ring N, being of a larger diameter, cannot pass through the hole cl, but the chain 7) is of suflicient length to allow the weight 13 to draw the hitching-strap taut. To restore the weight to its normal position, the operation is reversed, the ring N being drawn up and slipped over the hook.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

In a hitching device the combination of a hollow anchoring-weight adapted to receive extra weighting material; said anchoringweight consisting of two members detachably connected by means of a bolt and nut centrally located; the lower member having downwar'dly-projectin lugs on its lower side and up. ardly-projectin glu gs on its upper periphery adapted to receive a bolt bent so as to keep the link of the suspending-chain central with regard to the anchoring-weight; means for fastening said bolt; the suspending-chain having at its upper end a ring of larger diameter than the chain and suited to receive the suspending-hook; the suspending-hook; the plate provided with a hole of sufficient diameter to admit the passage of the suspending-chain but not the ring, means for connecting said hook and plate to the body of the vehicle in their correct relative positions; a hitching-strap and means for conneotin g same to the bits and said anchoring-weight.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

S. D. ScHoLEs, Jr., HENRY J. SIEBERT. 

